Washing-machine.



C. E. HOO'VER.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25. ms.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

lnveni-or- Patented J an.'28, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lnveni'ov Wife rr/eM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. HOOVER, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ABRAHAM M. DELLINGER, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

WASHING-MACHDTE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

Application filed February 25, 1918. Serial No. 219,060.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. Hoovnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lancaster in the county of Lancaster and State of lennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to washing machines having a movable perforated cage for containing the articles to be washed, the same being located within the water-containing receptacle or reservoir. The chief object of my invention is to provide for continuous reciprocation of such a cage with adequate forcing of water through many perforations above or below the articles washed at each upward or downward movement of the cage, thus obtaining the full washing action at both ends of the stroke. As parts of the mechanism above described I employ a perforated upper plate, spring-held on top of the clothes, but yielding to any increased'supply-of contents. I also provide perforated adjustable means for dividing the interior of the cage into two or more parts so that two or more grades or kinds of articles maybe separately washed by the same action without preventing full cleansing, and the relative spaces given them may be varied as required. The reciprocation of the cage is'caused by the opposing action of a cam or equivalent mechanical means and a spring or springs actmg on duly braced and said cage. There are improved features of fully hereinafter guided supports for also divers new and detail which will be more described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a vertical approximately central section, on a plane proximate and parallel to that of the rods F and H hereinafter described, through a washing machine embodying my invention, the usual wringer attachment not being shown.

Fig. 2 represents a horizontal section on the line 2 -2 of Fig. 1;.

Fig. 3 represents a bottom a view of the Fig. 4 represents an enlarged detail view of the cam and the bent arm against which it acts to lift the cage;

Fig. 5 represents a detail view in side elevation of the middle supporting leg and proximate parts;

Fig. .6 represents in detail side elevation a part of the cage showing holes for adjusting partition by screws.

A designates the tub, receptacle or reservoir for containing water, either pure or as part of any suitable laundry solution or mixture. This receptacle may have any convenient form but is shown as cylindrical. Its material may be wood, metal or any other suited toits uses. It is supported by strong slanted legs B, preferably of cast metal, bolted to the floor and connected to the lower part of said receptacle by screws 12 or in any convenient way. Said receptacle has a lid C hinged at c to the tops of its body and fastened down at will by any suitable catch indicated at C Within said receptacle a perforated metallic cage D reciprocates vertically. It is shown as cylindrical but this form, though most convenient, is not essential. Its bottom is provided with many perforations d, as are also all parts of its side wall. These small holes d in said sidewall at various elevations provide for the vertical adjust ment by screws d of a horizontal partition E, which has perforations 6 like the perforations d aforesaid, this partition dividing the interior space into two compartments of variable size, so that clothes of difierent kinds or grades or ownership may be simul taneously Washed in the same cage, without mixing them or even bringing them into contact with each other, although there is no impediment to the flow of water through all the clothes in the upward or downward movement of the cage. The adjustability of the partition makes feasible the maintaining of this arrangement notwithstanding the difference in the mass of the two bodies or sets of articles. Of course by using more number of such compartments and number of sets garments washed simultaneously but separately in the same cage may be increased at will.

F designates a top plate provided with many perforations f similar to perforations d and e aforesaid and suspended from lid C by rods F which may slide up and down through said lid within certain Springs G surround said rods below sald lid and bear on said top plate, tending to hold the latter against upward movement with said cage but yielding under pressure and permitting the increase of the volume of the clothes in the cage without peroepti-' will force the water up through the holes e in the bottom plate and body and through the clothes, escaping at the top through plate F. The corresponding upward movementof the cage similarly forces water in the reverse direction down through holes f of plate F and holes 6 in the body of the cage and through the contained clothes, escaping finally through the bottom of said cage. In each movement there will be a certain escape also of the water through the holes (1 in the upper or lower part of the cage as the case may be. The general operation is of an alternately reversed current of water driven through the clothes from top to bottom of the mass and from bottom to top again with penetration and escape of oblique side jets acting similarly on the clothes but in less degree. The total eifect is of a very thorough cleansing, the water being applied equally from above and from below and the action of the mechanism guarding against any imperfection or unevenness of the application of force and flow.

To cause this automatic action, I employ positively acting mechanism (preferably a shaft and cam) and opposed resilient means acting reversely to each other on movable cage supports. As shown these supports are rods H bent over at their upper ends it for convenience of attachment to the upper part of the cage. These rods are guided by long upright tubes 1, arranged between the cage D and the wall of the receptacle A, these guide tubes being held at their upper ends to said receptacle body by brackets 2'. The lower ends of said tubes are screwed into the bottom of said rece tacle and rovidecl also with bushings j, w 'ch bear own against of the legs a weaves said bottom. Each rod H passes below its at tube I throu h a horizontal ledge B of one 5 supporting the machine and has a depressing spring K arranged around it between the bottom of said ledge and a movable cross bar L, to the ends of which the lower ends of said rods H are connected. A rigid arm M extends upward from the middle part of this cross bar and is bent to present a horizontal rigid finger m above a cam 'N of any convenient form which is carried by a rotary camshaft O. This may be driven by means of belt-pulley P on a short drive shaft P and intervening gears 0 p, but the precise means shown for driving the shaft and of actuating the cage are not essential. The operation is simply that of the upward pressure of the cam raising the cross-bar. rods and cage and compressing springs K; which being seated against fixed ledges B bear downward on said cross-bar and promptly reverse the movement of the said cage, rods and cross-bar when the upward pressure is removed. Thus a rapid and eflicient reciprocatory action of the cage is effected, the movement being exactly of the same extent each time in each direction and applied with the same degree of force in each upward lift and in each downward pressure.

One of the two pairs of diametrically opposite legs Q has a rigid lateral arm g, on each leg. These arms supply bearings for said cam shaft. One of these legs also pro-, vides a bearing for the stub shaft P of belt wheel P.

The said cam shaft bears a bevel wheel R, which meshes with a similar bevel wheel or pinion S, for driving the shaft T of a wringer, commonly attached to such washing machines. As the wringer forms no part of the present invention and is not at all necessary to the comprehension of. the same, it is unnecessary to illustrate it and the bevel gear and shaft; are merely presented in incidental illustration, as they would ordinarily belong to a complete commercial machine.

If the receptacle A were turned into horizontal position instead of vertical, with the inclosed elements and attachments and'the cage were reciprocated horizontally instead of vertically there would be no change in the invention, though there might be'less convenience and .greater need for care to prevent escape of'water. Obviously the vertical position is ordinarily the best. But as already indicated I do not restrict myself to this nor to the exact form or construction described. a

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a washing machine, the combination of a water-containing receptacle with a clothes-containing cage, reciprocating therein, rods attached to said ca e, fixed guide tubes for said rods, a cross ar connecting said rods, springs bearin on said cross-bar for moving said rods an cage in one direction and mechanism acting on said cross bar to move said rods and cage in the opposite direction, for the purpose set forth.

- Witnesses:

In testimony whereof I have signed my 10 name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES E. HOOVER.

N B. WALLACE, .Crms. Gooz. 

